Improvement in furnaces for link-welding



, J. H. HELM. Furnace for Link-Welding.

No. 200,195. Patented Feb. 12,1878.

N- PETQS. PHOTO L THOQRAP UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN HENRY HELM, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN VFURNACESQF'OR LINK-WELDING.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 200,195, dated February 12, 1878 application filed V November 8, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN HENRY HELM, of Allegheny, county of Allegheny, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Welding-Furnaces; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and links; and consists inprovidingsuch furnace with a fuel-chamber, a portion of which is above and in the rear of the crown of the workingchamber, thefront wall of said fuelchamber being inclined, with its base overhanging the fire-chainber, and serving as a support for the inner end of' the fire-brick which form the perforated crown of the working-chamber, the floor of said fuel-chamber being inthe rear and above the plane of the grate of the fire-chamber, the lower part of the inner surface of the front or breast wall of the firechamber projecting inward to a vertical line in the rear of the openings or heating-cells in the crown of the working-chamber; the whole being so constructed and operating that the fuel is automatically fed into the fire and working chambers of the furnace, keeping them full by a constant supply of hi ghly-heated fuel, and when the grate bars are removed for cleaning the furnace there will be retained on the floor of the fuel-chamber a suflicient quantityof burning fuel to restart the fire on the replaced grate-bars without the trouble and expense of rekindling it, as in the ordinary way, and also so that the air forced up through the grate-bars and burning fuel shall not be in a direct line with the openings or heating-cells in the crown of the working-chamber.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of my specification, Figure 1 is a top view or plan of my improvement in weldingfurnaces. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same at line y of Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4are detail views of the brick for the crown of the furnace. V

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the masonry-work of the furnace; B, the ash-pit; G, the grate; D, the fire-chamber; E, the working chamber; F, the fuel-chamber, and G the crown. The ash-pit B is provided with a close-fitting door, h, and an opening, 2", for the blast-pipe. The grate-bars of the grate 0 rest on two cross-bars, j. The fire-chamber D is above the grate O, and unites with the working-chamber E. The firechamber D and working-chamber B may be said to be one chamber, but are referred toseparately in this case in order to more clearly set forth the working and points of my invention.

The inner surface of the front or breast wall K of the fire-chamber D projects inward to a vertical line beyond the openings or heatingcells 1 in the crown G, to prevent the air from passing upward in a direct line through the grate, fire-chamber, and working-chamber to the openings or heating-cells 1; otherwise the direct currents of air, combined with the heat and flame of the furnace, would cause a wasting action on the links placed in the openings or heating-cells l; This inward projection of the breast-wallK also causes the fuel, as it is fed down from the fuel-chamber F, to hug the walls of 'the, fire-chamber D, so that it is always properly filled with fuel, automatically fed to the fire-chamber D from the fuelchamber F by the gravity of the fuel. By thus keeping the fire-chamber D filled with fuel in a heated condition prior to entering said chamber, and by the inward projection of the breastwall K, the air-blast, which enters the ashpit B at the opening c, is caused to pass up through the grate G, and up through the burning mass of fuel in the fire and workingchambers, thereby producing a continuous clear and white welding-heat, without that cutting and wasting action common to welding-furnaces. The front wall M of the fuelchamber is inclined at an acute angle to the vertical plane passing through the fire and working chambers, and the base of said wall overhangs said chambers, and serves as a supi crownG of the furnace. V V

. withfuel,andeloses down thezlid t. E r V V V The crown is constructed of large fire-brick an, haying a: groove or grooves in the; side, which when brought together, form the heat 7 ing openings or cells i, winch, inform and size, should; correspond: to thearticle to be 2 port and an ahutment'forithe inner and heyeied ends of the fire brick miwh-ich form the.

- By this construction and arrangement of the V wall :M the fuel in theifueb chamber? is sup r plied to the'working and 'fire chambers at a -=white heat, and said chambersare kept filled V to the proper height and nearness tothe crown G for eflicient workingof the furnace, whereby 7 muchtime and fuelare saved, the' workmen not being required to wait for the furnace and.

V fuel to attainthe proper degree of :heat'every timefresh fuel is supplied, .asin' the. ordinary A lt is. a necessity :in a welding-furnace to j 1 1 keep the fuelburning ata welding-heat,for:at;

' 1 lessthansnchheat the furnace will be inoperr r 5 ativei The; bottom; 49 .ofthe fuel-chamber F is in the rearof the grate and above it; i By:

7 thisarrangerneut and position of thebottomp 1 the grate-bars G can be Withdrawn for the pur V V pose of cleaning the furnace and: grate, and a r V V V suflicient quantity of burning fuel will remain on thebottoin p to restart the firezin the fire V Z a i chamber without the :loss of time, labor, and 'expenseofrckindling i:t,-as inthe old mode.

1 In restarting the tire, aitencleaning the grate and furnacathe operator inserts a poker or. other suitable :tool through the door; S, and. forces the fuel off the bottom n. down onto the r 1 grate He. then charges the 'fuelchamber heated. The fire-brick n are also furnished with grooves at their top edge, forming, when brought together, the recess 10, for the reception of the rods which support the links in the openings or cells l while being heated.

By constructing the fire-brick n as hereinbefore described, the number of the cells 1 and recesses w can be increased or diminished at pleasure, whereby the heating capacity of the crown G can be adapted to the work and speed of the workmen. It is frequently the case that the workman burns and destroys blanks by undertaking to use too many cells.

Furnaces such 'asare hercinbefore described is V .1 1eed;nochimney,as cokcis theusualfiiehwhich burns with a' :clear flame, and withbutvery V The outlet for the flame and heat arethe heating cells in the crown of. the V furnace; The inward :projection'of the wallof; f r i V i chamber 1) will cause the burning fuel;(coke) a tohug: the walls of the fire-andworking 011311119. i here, so that no air can pass up between the I r r walls and fuel, but must: pass through the: 7

little smoke.

burning fuel, so that no free oxygen will be allowed to passout through the heating-cells in the crown of the furnace. it :free oxygen passes up throughthe heating-cells Elli causes. z 1 a; wasting action on the links while being ":7. heated for welding As the fuclburns; away, V i fresh fuel fallsinto the'workingandfire chain i i 5 :bers from the: fuel-chamber, tan dthus the fuel: i Z r is automatically fed into workingandifire chain I 1 V r I bers, so as tokeep them always fiilhwhich at= r I all times is necessary to the properworkhig of :thefurnacefor-welding. v V

r The inner surface ofthe front or breast wall, Z i 1 projecting to a vertical line'beyond the heat 1 in 'g-ceils- 1a the crown G also economizes fuel z by preventing undue-consumption of it;

wHaving thus" described my improvement, what i claim as of :my invention: 1s--'1 .1.111 arweldiug-furnace, a: fuel-chamber above the fire -chamber, having 7 its bottom above and in rear ofihe grate, substantially 5 i r j V as'herein described, and for the purpose setfortlnn,

2. Ina welding-furnace, the fire-chamber, 1 I V 7 g the inner surface of the'front or' breast wali slantinginward to a vertical line beyond the i I V heating-cellsin thecrowntof the furnace,

combination with the fuelchamber above and in rear thereof, substantially as herein described, and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a welding-furnace, the crown G, constructed of a series of fire-bricks having grooves in their sides and in their top edge, forming, when brought together, cells 1 and recesses 20, substantially as herein described, and for the purpose set forth.

J. HENRY HELM.

Witnesses:

A. C. J OHNSTON, JNo. D. PATTEN. 

